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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-29268

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 August 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28109 by Jenni Minto on 25 June 2024, what steps it has taken to assess the adherence of NHS boards to the standards outlined in the (a) National Specification for the Delivery of Psychological Therapies and Interventions and (b) Core Mental Health Quality Standards.

The Scottish Government published the National Specification for Psychological Therapies and Interventions and the Core Mental Health Standards in September 2023.

We have made a commitment to take a phased approach to implementation, to ensure the Standards and Specification would be implemented effectively in light of existing pressures across the health and social care system.

Assessment tools to assess and support adherence to the Specification and Standards were developed and piloted in spring 2024 and will be rolled out across all boards in 2024-25.

Additionally, Public Health Scotland have reviewed the publication of the Mental Health Quality Indicator Framework and will be publishing this in interactive dashboard format including new Board and HSCP level data from 26 November 2024. This will provide transparency of key access and quality indicators relevant to the Specification and Standards in one place, with the intention to expand this collection in due course.

Question reference: S6W-29270

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 August 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28109 by Jenni Minto on 25 June 2024, whether it has undertaken an analysis of what impact the publication of its Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy has had on the psychological support offered to patients living with non-communicable diseases, including chronic kidney disease.

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy was published in June 2023. To show how the Strategy is making a positive difference to people’s mental health, at all levels of need, it is structured around a Vision and a set of Outcomes so we can be held to account for our progress.

We published our Delivery Plan and Workforce Action Plan in November 2023. Both set out the actions we will take in order to make progress on these outcomes. This requires local and national leadership as we collectively work towards key national outcomes whilst maintaining local flexibility.

We are committed to robustly review, monitor and evaluate the Strategy, the accompanying Delivery Plan and the Workforce Action Plan to ensure we are committed to the right actions. We will shortly begin publication of regular reporting on progress towards our Strategy Delivery Plan.

Question reference: S6W-29269

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 August 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28109 by Jenni Minto on 25 June 2024, whether it plans to publish guidelines outlining best practice provision of psychological support services to patients living with non-communicable diseases, including chronic kidney disease.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring high-quality care for people with kidney disease, and other non-communicable diseases, expecting adherence to existing guidelines and best practice, such as the National Specification for Psychological Therapies and Interventions.

The Specification sets out how access to and the quality of psychological service delivery can be improved, and what the people of Scotland can expect.

To support the implementation of the Specification we are producing a number of ‘Once for Scotland’ guides, in collaboration with key partners. These national guides will support the delivery of psychology therapies in Scotland and promote best practice.

Question reference: S6W-29695

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 September 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 23 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the article in The Times on 26 August 2024, whether it is considering introducing prescription charges for medicines on the NHS to balance its budget deficit.

There is no plan to re-introduce prescription charges in Scotland. Prescription charges were abolished in April 2011 because Scottish Ministers believed that they were a tax on ill health and a barrier to good health for many people. This was particularly so for those with long-term conditions and those on a low income who in the past faced choices about which medicines they could afford. The introduction of free prescriptions has been fully funded by the Scottish Government, at no cost to NHS budgets.

Question reference: S6W-29696

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 September 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 23 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of introducing prescription charges for medicines on the NHS on people with (a) chronic kidney disease and (b) long-term conditions.

Question reference: S6W-29697

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 September 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 23 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken an impact assessment regarding the potential introduction of prescription charges for medicines on the NHS.

Question reference: S6W-29694

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 September 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 23 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated administrative cost would be of the potential introduction of prescription charges on the NHS.

Question reference: S6O-03714

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent Centre for Social Justice report, Where have all the children gone?, which found that there has been a 72% increase in severe school absence rates in the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-28110

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 June 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 25 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of preliminary data collected by Kidney Care UK, which currently suggests that there is a severe lack of designated psychosocial support for adults and children with kidney disease in Scotland, what steps it is taking to improve NHS psychosocial support provision for people with chronic kidney disease.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all people living with kidney disease in Scotland are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.

We expect all NHS Boards in Scotland to adhere to current guidelines and follow best practice when providing psychosocial care for people with chronic kidney disease.

Our Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy published in 2023, sets out a long-term vision, and a set of outcomes, for the mental health and wellbeing of the population.

In September 2023, we published the National Specification for Psychological Therapies and Interventions , to ensure effective, equitable, efficient and high-quality person-centred Psychological Therapies (PT) are delivered consistently across Scotland. The Specification sets out the standards to which we expect Psychological Therapies to be delivered, including appropriate staffing

We recently met with Kidney Care UK and welcome and value their work and remain committed to engaging with them on these important matters.

Question reference: S6W-28109

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 June 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 25 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is planning to implement minimum standards of psychosocial care to ensure that all patients living with chronic kidney disease receive equal access to the care that they need, regardless of geography.

The Scottish Government expects all NHS Boards in Scotland to adhere to current guidelines and follow best practice when providing psychosocial care for people with chronic kidney disease.

Our Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy published in 2023, sets out a long-term vision, and a set of outcomes, for the mental health and wellbeing of the population.

We published the National Specification for Psychological Therapies and Interventions in September 2023, and Public Health Scotland updated the national waiting times guidance , to ensure that PT is delivered to a high quality and measured consistently across Scotland.